Google spent years reforming Chromebooks to be seen as more than just laptops for schools that were destined for the e-waste bin.

With the Googlebook, there might be more riding on this venture than you might think.

For someone who has spent years exploring and enjoying the world of ChromeOS, the Googlebook announcement took me by surprise.

Not only because Google is introducing something completely new, but also because of the path that led us to this point.

A walk through Chromebook history

It's been turbulent, but Google's remained committed

Chromebooks got their start in 2010 with the Google Cr-48. It was never made available for purchase, with Google instead relying on a 60,000-person "pilot program."

Fast-forward to June the following year, and Samsung released the first retail Chromebook, followed swiftly by Acer the next month.

Back then, and for years to come, these early Chromebook models were really nothing more than Chrome-powered netbooks.

Over time, Google got more partners on board, technology advanced, ChromeOS improved, and Chromebooks started arriving in a variety of sizes and designs.

This was even true as Google released its own device, with the Chromebook Pixel arriving in 2013. Until then, Google left the hardware to manufacturers, focusing its resources on developing the platform.

Google remained focused on improving ChromeOS, and, seeing the potential of expanding Android to more users, added the Play Store to ChromeOS in 2016.

All the while, Chromebooks were never really marketed to the masses in the same way as phones or tablets. That's because Google didn't need to, as the education segment was (and still is) the bread and butter.

According to one report, "Education accounts for 60.1% of the global Chromebook market share as of 2025." The same report also suggests that the Chromebook education market is "projected to hit $42.85 billion by 2034," up from $14.70 billion in 2025.

With Google making its money elsewhere, the build quality and the design of Chromebooks stagnated for years. That, compounded with the limited support cycles at the time, played major roles in the stigma of the platform still felt today.

In 2023, Google seemingly realized the potential of Chromebooks for the non-education segment, but needed to improve its image.

So in October, Chromebook Plus was announced. This aimed to take the pain and frustration out of picking between a bunch of bad apples, with the hopes of finding a gem.

A major shift was already coming to Chromebooks

Yes, we have AI to blame

Thanks to the world being rapidly taken over by an obsession with AI, so have our devices. It's practically impossible to do anything without seeing mention of Gemini, OpenAI, Claude, Grok, or just the phrase "AI."

Given that ChromeOS is one of Google's software platforms, it was only a matter of time before Gemini was forced on everyone.

It felt like Google was trying to push a square peg in a round hole, offering limited features that were hamstrung by the reliance on cloud computing.

This would've made more sense in the earlier days of ChromeOS, as much of its functionality was tied to having an internet connection.

However, as ChromeOS and Chromebooks have evolved, this is not so much the case, operating like a more traditional laptop, albeit one with modest specs (if I'm putting it nicely).

Because of the hardware limitations and need for the internet, it rendered Gemini essentially useless since AI models weren't stored on-device.

While it was cool seeing Samsung's Galaxy Chromebook Plus arrive as the first with the dedicated "Quick Insert Key," it was useless when you were offline.

In 2025, the "big break" came for AI on ChromeOS thanks to the arrival of the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14.

Along with offering a premium design and up to 256GB of storage, the MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 chip made local, on-device AI processing, without an internet connection, more of a reality.

Rumblings and rumors transform into reality

The proverbial shoe dropped, and then so did the other one

A few months after the debut of Lenovo's Chromebook, Google and Qualcomm not-so-subtly shared that something was coming. Now I know this is the Googlebook, but at the time, I wasn't really sure.

Rumors and ramblings seemed to suggest that Google was working on a "Pixel Laptop," leaving some feeling like it was just a laptop with the same internals as an Android phone.

Even as Google SVP for Platforms and Devices Rick Osterloh took the stage at the Snapdragon Summit with Qualcomm President and CEO Cristiano Amon, I was skeptical about what was to come.

Google had already put in the work to make Android and ChromeOS more cohesive, so a new platform didn't make much sense.

Nevertheless, that's exactly what we saw when the Googlebook was officially announced earlier this year.

A new series of hardware and a software platform "designed for Gemini Intelligence." Complete with some callbacks to the early ChromeOS days, such as the RGB light bar on the top of the lid (hello, Chromebook Pixel).

Right now, there's not much of a difference

Until the Googlebook is released, it's still just a Chromebook to me

This is the part I think Google will struggle with. If you head over to the dedicated landing page and look through the provided imagery, there's nothing that tells me this isn't running ChromeOS.

The desktop UI is the same, the app windows look the same, and even some (if not most) of the features are the same.

Google clearly recognizes that, as the first FAQ tries to answer the question of what the difference is.

Unfortunately, the answer doesn't do a great job of separating the two. So when it's released this fall, the Googlebook and Chromebooks will coexist, presumably until Google determines what to actually do.

A crystal ball, I wish I had

I'm a big fan of Chromebooks and ChromeOS, especially with the strides made in recent years.

However, I am a bit concerned about what the future holds, because I can't see both Chromebooks and Googlebooks living side by side for long.

Likely, the Googlebook will be positioned as the "luxury" experience, while Chromebooks will continue to cater to those looking for more budget-friendly options.

Curiously, there's no mention of Chromebook Plus here, but then again, it could just be Google being Google.

Google remains committed to the ChromeOS platform, still offering 10 years of software support for newly released hardware.

Perhaps Chromebooks will transition into being "Education-only" devices, as that's where most of the money remains.

It also wouldn't come as a surprise if one day we wake up and see a new entry in the Google Graveyard.